Falling Unexpectedly
by KV202244
Summary: After a day of bad luck, Roxas can't imagine staying anywhere NEAR Axel. When certain events question his resolve, will he give in, or collapse under the pressure?
1. Chapter 1

-Falling Unexpectedly-  
>Chapter 1:Getting my wish<p>

Roxas's POV

There are a lot of noises and sounds that the world could DEFINITELY do without. I'm not talking about the screech of tires in the middle of the night, or the sound of a girly sister babbling about her wardrobe. Although those could count as well. One could win the argument that THIS is the most dreaded noise in existence:

"Rrriiinnnggg! Rrriiinnnggg!" I groan in disbelief as the morning alarm pierces the peaceful doze I was in.

"Damn, I just fell asleep! How can it be morning already?" Letting out a massive yawn, my hand slams down onto the snooze button. Could I go back to sleep? Lots of people miss the first day of school anyway... I debate on whether or not to get ready. Running a hand through my hair, I stare up at the ceiling in thought. Well, going to school would give me first hand info on the social status and trend of the year. But, wouldn't I miss catching up on my Z's? Yeah... but wait. I face palm myself for thinking skipping was possible. I couldn't possibly miss today. Not with Namine acting like a second alarm clock! An aching soreness runs through my head. Man, all of this thinking is giving me an actual headache. I rub my temples as I continue my mental debate. But still... I pause to make a, possibly life threatening, decision.

Yup... goin' back to sleep. Too bad my plans change as soon as my eyes close.

"Roxas! Get your ass out of bed!" I sigh as she ruins my day using only one sentence. I could hear her laughing at my clearly audible complaint. I roll onto my side and bundle up in my blankets, fearful that this would be it for a while. Oh, I wish this could last! Being comfortable in my room, sleeping all day, and not going to...

" Get up! You're going to be late! Nobody wants to miss the first day!" She yells her reminders as she herself gets ready. I laugh at how wrong her information was. What did she mean, _Nobody Wants To Miss The First Day?_ I do!

"Sorry Nami, but I'm going to have to disagree! The correct fact is that LOTS of people want to miss the first day!"

"Well EXCUSE ME! I didn't know you looked it up.!" After a moment or two, I hear her footsteps grow louder. Uh, Oh! I stare at my door, hoping that I had locked it. Fortunately, the knob turns, but the door is staying shut. Listening hard, I can hear her foot tapping against the floor. Silently, I crawl out of bed and creep to the door and wait. A minute or two of foot tapping pass before she speaks again.

"Roxas!" she yells. I swing open the door and jump out. She takes a step back and glares at me. Then, she looks me over and smiles.

"What?" I ask. Was there something in my teeth? Did last night's wad of gum find it's way into my hair? I hope not! Namine just stands there giggling for a moment. She fishes her phone out of her pocket and snaps a picture, looking at me apologetically.

"Sorry Roxas. You just look so adorable!" She shows me the photo, and my face goes red. It describes everything. I don't look that old.. I can knock some heads together if necessary, but still have the looks of a sixth grader. This fact matched perfectly with my pajamas. I had on a matching shirt and pant set with stars on them. My blond, spiky hair hangs limp in my face. In the picture, my blue eyes were wide with shock. Honestly, I almost went, 'aww' myself! So what if I'm a senior? I'll still look adorable sometimes!

"What are you going to do with that photo Nami?" She's really nice and all, but I have to make sure she wont post it on facebook or something. I watch over her shoulder as she clicks some buttons and shows me her phone. ...Okay, so now I'm her screen saver. Great.

"You better get ready for school, Blondie!" She threatens, walking off into the kitchen.

"Uh, Namine? In case you haven't noticed, YOU'RE blond too!" I hear her stop in her tracks, and she takes a second to think about my observation. She turns around and grins.

"Yeah, but I wear it BETTER!" She sticks her tongue out at me and I, being as mature as can be, do the same. I wonder if I should add on to her argument. I quickly dismiss the thought...then do it anyway.

"Yeah. You do wear it better. Like a golden retriever." Namine can't decide what to make of the comment and walks away. I stand there, smiling, waiting for her to get what I meant. Soon enough, I hear her slam her foot in complaint. I instantly regret saying anything.

"Yeah, Roxas. I'M the bitch." Her words were overflowing with sarcasm. She runs back down the hall way to find me hunched over, laughing so hard that tears have formed in my eyes. Namine stands there for a bit fuming at my ignorance. I stand up, after a bit, wiping the moisture from my face. My laugh turns into an uneasy chuckle as I take in the level of anger in her expression. I relax because I remember: This is Namine for crying out loud. She can't stay mad for two minutes. Well, unless somebody did something REALLY messed up. Soon, the same old smile is on her face. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Stretching, I launch into a hopeless plan B.

"Aww man! You know, I wish I could just miss school today!" I glance to Namine to see if I would get any reaction out of her. She just grins. Oops! Not winning this one.

"Well, too bad because you are not skipping today!" With these words, pushes me into my room and slams the door. I sigh as she yells at me to get ready. I yell back, asking the famous question of mine.

"Or what?"

"If you are late, I'll make you get a ride from our good neighbor... Axel!" Immediately, I rush to replace my pajamas with the outfit Namine picked out the previous day. Yeah, so what my big sister picks my outfits. Surprisingly, she has good taste for a cool high school wardrobe. This is probably because she graduated last year. Clearing my head, I multi-task, pulling on my shoes as I stuff my school bag with useless books. I shiver at what Namine had threatened. No can do! Axel is the last person I would ride to school with. I don't know exactly know the guy, but rumor has it that he is the most annoying person going to Oblivion High.

Dragging my stuff behind me, I throw open my door and step out. Instantly, searing pain shoots through my head. I drop my things and grasp my head, as I stumble back into my room. I try to walk back out but a flash of pain trips me, and I slam into the dresser. All of the pointless stuff I have collected falls off of it, some of it shattering.

"Roxas? What was that?" Namine calls for me, concern clouding her voice. I wish she would just come into my room to see what was up.

"Nam-aahhhhh!" I try to get up so I could find her, but my knees give way, and the hurt factor is multiplied. I am reduced to a shaking, curled up mass. I cup my head in my hands, and am surprised to find my head still intact. I hear Namine running through the house and in moments, she bursts through my doorway, gasping as she kneels beside me.

"Roxas! Whats wrong!" She looks me over for any injuries while failing to keep herself calm. I shut my eyes in concentration. I know that I am worrying her, I build up my strength and, for her sake, push the pain away. Slowly letting my grip on my head relax, I take a couple of jagged breaths and sigh.

"I'm fine, Namine." Keeping my eyes shut, I push myself up and sit on my bed. Reluctantly, she nods and runs to the kitchen, returning with an ice pack.  
>"What happened?" Pressing it against my head, I shrug and tell her that her guess is as good as mine. I stand up and walk past her and to the bathroom. Not bothering to shut the door, I peer at my reflection in the mirror. My face was red and covered in sweat. I look down and rinse my face in the sink, drying it with my shirt. Okay, that takes care of that. I turn to walk away, but my attention is dragged back to my reflection. I had the same blond hair and the child-like features... but what happened to my eyes!?<p>

"Roxas," Namine says as she appears at the door way."You can stay home if you..." I look to her and she takes a surprised step back. She blinks a few times, studying my face closer.

"Roxas, what happened to your eyes? Their supposed to be blue, right?" I nod at her question "So why are they black now?"  
>I look back into the mirror and observe. The colored part of my eyes HAVE gone black. Man... I couldn't even tell my pupils apart from it. It's kind of creepy.<p>

I walk out of the bathroom and back to my room. Throwing a jacket over my damp shirt, I pull the hood up to avoid having to deal with my hair. I grab my stuff and sigh at the mess on the floor.

"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it." Namine promises. I look to her and she unsuccessfully tries to suppress a shudder.

"I look creepy don't I?" I know I do. Nobody can tell me that a kid wearing a hoodie that covers all except clouded black eyes ISN'T scary. She nods and follows me to the front door.

"Remember, I'll be at work today. If you feel like crap, just go to a friends house, okay?" I shake my head and glance at the clock. Seeing I am close to missing the bus, Namine pushes me out of the door. With this head start, I run down the street almost tripping multiple times. Turning back, I watch Namine's car drive away before starting to run again. I arrive in time to see a guy with red hair kicking the street sign. Oh, no. It's Axel. I sigh as I walk forward.

"Hey, you miss the bus too?" I curse my lazy morning and look back to him. I nod and he holds out his hand.

"My name's Axel. Got it memorized? What's yours?" I reluctantly shake his hand and reply.

"I'm Roxas." I turn to walk back home." Now I have to go home I guess." I start walking, but my vision is getting blurry, and my steps unstable. I shake my head, and take a couple of steps, surely looking half dead. One of my legs collapses, and the road kind of sways.

"Hey man, you okay?" Axel calls after me. I yell that I am, and I stand back up, ready to keep going.

"Roxas!" the red-head exclaims, rushing towards me. That is the last thing I hear before the pavement comes rushing up towards me. All I see is black. I guess that I got my wish after all.

_** What's up with Roxas? And who exactly is Axel. Is what Roxas knows about him true, or a complete rumor? You're going to have to check out future chapters to find out! -kv202244**_


	2. Chapter 2

Falling Unexpectedly

Chapter 2: He Has It Memorized

Axel's POV

"Sora! I'm leaving!" I shove stuff into my school as I rush to catch the bus. The stop is pretty far from my house, and I don't think I'll make it in time. Still, that isn't stopping me from sprinting out of the door in a hopeless attempt.

"Axel! Here!" I turn around as he chucks a pair of keys at me. Sora can't throw for his life, so I have to walk back a few feet to pick them up.

"If you miss the bus, just come back here. I'll be at work, so just let yourself in. Okay?" I nod and, stuffing the keys into my pocket, run back down the street. For no reason I could think of, my stop was like, a mile away. There are the lucky kids who live right beside the stop, and the not so lucky ones. I fall into the latter category. Running past a row of houses, a scream stops me in my tracks. I listen for it again, but only hear the sound of shattering glass or something. Reluctantly, I start my trek to the bus stop again. Looking back to the house, I wonder to myself.

"That sounded... painful. I'm just glad it wasn't me." I let out a breath of relief and wince.

"Who's to say it WONT be you?" I turn to see a group of boys closing in. I raise my hand to say hello, but they aren't the kind of kids who take that very well.

"Shit..." I take a few steps back, mentally plotting out the safest escape rout. Well, to late to leave now!

"Well if it isn't little miss red head!" One boys calls out to me, and the kids surrounding him laugh along. I try to stay calm, but can't help noticing that kids helping the guy held bats. You know, I don't even look like they should be a problem. Being tall and on the football team should ensure safe walks to and from home right? WRONG! I guess its the fire red hair...or the fact I wasn't falling for JUST girls. I wince and reply.

"Hey Vanitis. Terra, Ven. Howsit going?" I nervously look between the three teens, hoping to avoid any issues today. Terra and Ven look around for witnesses, and when they see none, they move towards me. I take a step back, and Vanitis throws out his arms to block them. He turns to whisper something incoherent to the boys, and sneers. Oh, jeez! Seeing that they have something planned REALLY gives me the chills!

"Hey, where's your boyfriend Sora?" They sneer in my face as mine turns blank from confusion.

"What? Where did you hear that?" I ask the gang. They share a glance and turn back, grinning ear to ear.

"Well, everybody has noticed that there is a new resident in your house. Care to explain?" As they speak this nonsense, I start to feel laughter build up in my chest. Holding it back, I clamp my mouth shut. From the looks on there faces, I must look really stupid.

"Well?" They ask again, angry faces clouding up with confusion. I take a moment to force the laughter down. After a couple breaths, I clear my throat. When I open my mouth to reply, all hell breaks loose.

"Sora... is, m-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!" Oops! I couldn't help it! The little giggles I had hid had built up into a break out of booming laughter. The gang takes a step back, sour looks plastered on their faces, and watch me just fall apart on the street. I mean, I am on the verge of tears, holding my side so I wont explode. Finally able to speak again, I clear my throat (for reals this time) and turn to face the group of annoyed teens.

"Sorry! It's just that Sora ISN'T my boyfriend...he's my cousin!" I clear up the argument and walk past their startled faces. Before I could get far, Vanitis walks up to block my path. I look into his glare and wait to see what was up.

"Well tell Sora to watch his back." he threatens. My face glows red with anger as shove him out of the way. Walking away, Terra speaks up.

"Oh, look! His face matches his hair now!" I look back, but he continues.

"What? Did I offend you? Well what are you gunna do? Ask me out? Well you can kiss my a-" Before he can even finish, I have him pinned on the street. Struggling against me, Terra shoots all of the swears in his knowledge. Soon enough, I hear Ventus and Vanitis charging towards me... with their bats.

Shoving Terra down again, I turn to face the boys. Vanitis motions for Ventus to go first. Even though he can run pretty fast, he's very clumsy. Running towards me, he swings the bat. Being who he is, it flew out of his hand, missing me but hitting Terra. He was immediately unconscious. Using the moment of his embarrassment, I rush up and put Ventus out by applying pressure above his collar bone. I watch as he falls down. He never had any kind of attention span. I look to Vanitis and, to my surprise, see him running away.

I walk over to Terra and shake him to wake him up. Clearing his eyes, he takes one look at my stern face and winces. Looking around for Vanitis, all he sees is Ventus, unconscious in the street. He tries to run away, but I keep a firm grip on the collar of his shirt. Leaning into his ear, I hiss his own words back to him.

"Kiss...my...ass!" And with that I let him go. I watch as he scrambles over to wake Ventus up. He stands, rubbing his head, as Terra explains what happened; all the time, keeping an eye on me. When they look back, all I do is flash them the finger, and they bolt.

Laughing to myself, I turn and start walking to the- HOLY SHIT THE BUS! I run around the next few blocks like I was being chased by a bear; never looking back. Panting, I look ahead to see the bus pulling away.

"HEY!" I yell and wave my arms around. After a moment, some kids stick their heads out of the window. I smile in relief.

"Can you tell the bus driver to st-" My request falls short as I realize who the kids were: Terra, Ventus, and Vanitis! I stop chasing the bus as they throw a note out of the window, laughing. Standing in the middle of the street, I watch the bus drive down the road. Shrugging, I turn to head home, but I remember the note they threw at me. Should I read it... Nah! A few paces go by and I just can't resist. Curiosity's the devil these days! I pick up the crumpled sheet of paper and walk to the street sign that served as my bus stop. Smoothing the paper on the metal, I hold the note up and read. Even though the paper only held three words, my eyes narrow as I read it. I shove the note into my pocket, and my hand brushes the ones from past days. They all said the same thing:

~Kill Yourself Homo!~

Failing to keep my temper under control, I kick at the sign until it's bent at a noticeable angle. Only just after doing that, I realize someone was watching. I turn to see a tired looking kid with blond hair slumping over to my stop.

"Hey! You miss the bus too?" I ask as he comes to a stop in front of me. He doesn't seem to be having a good day so far. He flips off his hoodie and nods. Whoa... his eyes are like PITCH black...creepy, but cool. I hold out my hand and introduce myself.

"My name's Axel. Got it memorized? What's yours?" He slowly reaches out and shakes my hand, sighing. His face seems flushed, and his hair and movements limp. Is he alright? He opens his mouth to reply.

"I'm Roxas." He then turns around slowly and calls over his shoulder."Now I have to go home, I guess." I frown as he walks away. I turn to do the same, but I can't help but notice how unsteady he is. I see Roxas sway and shake his head a little. I'm about to call after him, but at that moment, he falls to one knee. I almost walk over, but look again. He looks about to be sick, so I keep my distance.

"Hey man, you okay?" I ask. He nods vigorously and yells back that he's fine. I watch, concerned, as he pushes himself up. Breathing heavily, Roxas takes one step ... to collapse on the next.

"Roxas!" I yell as I run to his side. Leaning close, I can hear him mumble something about...a wish? I shake his shoulders a couple of times, but get no reaction. Looking around, I try to remember if I have seen this guy somewhere. Then, remembering the keys in my pocket, I scoop Roxas up into my arms and start carrying him to my house. I hesitate as I come to the street where I was confronted, but then I remember: They ditched me for the bus. Then, when things finally turned for the better, it started raining.

Running up the walkway to my house, I fish the keys out of my pocket. When at the front door, I check on Roxas. He only had a scrape on his cheek from falling. It seemed out of place on his pale skin. His facial features kind of remind me of an elementary school kid. With his eyes closed, he looks kind of cute. The drops of water on his face makes him look almost... angelic. WTF! I shake my head to clear the thoughts, and open the door. Stepping inside, I take a look around to see if Sora was home.

"SORA! You home?" I call. A few seconds later, I hear a door opening and the sound of a shower running.

"Yeah, I am. Apparently, they didn't need me today." He chuckles to himself, and speaks again.

"I'm in the shower, so I'll be out in a minute. Kay?" I yell back saying that it was cool, and not to rush. Remembering Roxas, I walk into the living room and lay him on the couch. Looking at his drenched hair, I run to my bathroom and return with a towel. Doing my best not to pull his hair, I dry his hair, making sure I got all of the water out. Covering him with a blanket, I sit in an armchair, observing.

He is cute. I mean yeah, in the adorable way. But he does look nice. His blond hair looks a lot like Sora's, sticking up in all directions from me drying it. Is it soft? I almost lean forward to find out, but mentally smack myself. PULL IT TOGETHER! At this moment, Sora walks down the stairs with his hair dripping on the floor.

"Really Sora? You couldn't dry it better?" I tease him while pointing to the drops on the floor. He puts his hands on his hips and pouts.

"Now listen. I've already explained this. My hair needs to air dry or else it will frizz! Okay?" I roll my eyes, nodding.

"...Did you dry his hair?" He points to Roxas. I look closer and realize that his hair was starting to poof. I look back to Sora apologetically, but he has his finger to his mouth; motioning towards Roxas. He was waking up!

"He passed out at the bus stop." He shushes me as Roxas stirs. Keeping his eyes shut, he sits up, rubbing his head. He opens his eyes and, for a moment, he stares past us both. Then his sight focuses on Sora.

"Where am I?" Roxas asks. I shiver as I take in his eyes. They aren't black anymore. Now they are a lighter shade. Still dark, but a new gray.

"You're at my house. You blacked out at the bus stop, so I brought you back here. I'm Sora." He looks over to me and groans, flopping back onto the couch. His face covered by his hands.

"Hey! Hey, Roxas! Remember my name?" I ask him the question and he looks at me from between his hands.

"It's Axel." He says.

"Don't worry Axel. He has it memorized."

_**Ooooooohhhh! His eyes have changed again! And the red head is the first to fall – for Roxas that is! -kv202244**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: She is Nothing Like Him**_

_**-Roxas's POV**_

One minute I'm on the street, the next I'm someplace else.

My eyes seem to weigh a ton, and my head is swimming. I decide to keep them shut for the time being. It kind of smells like shampoo and aftershave. When I move, I hear hushed voices beside me. Pulling myself to sit up, on what I'm guessing is a couch, I slowly lift my eye lids to peer at my surroundings.

The thing is, I can't see much. It feels like a cloudy film is covering my eyes. Spotting two blurs that were most likely people, I blink away the sensation. Vision now mostly restored, I look to a teen with drenched brown hair that closely resembled mine.

"Where am I?" I ask, looking around the house. I was in a living room that contained the couch I was on, and another armchair. At the end of the room, a flat screen was mounted on the wall, next to framed photos. I could only guess that they were ones of his family. A stairwell from the living room went to a higher floor.

"I'm Sora and this is my house. Axel brought you here when you blacked out at the bus stop." I look over to Axel and groan, throwing myself back onto the couch. I sigh and cover my face with my hands. What an eventful morning this was turning out to be.

"Hey! Hey Roxas! Remember my name?" He quizzes me on my recently learned knowledge, and I groan, looking at him from between my hands.

"It's Axel." I say simply. He seems satisfied as he turns to walk up the stairs. I saw that his clothes and hair were drenched. And now, I've only JUST noticed that mine are the same. Well, not my hair. I reach up to feel it, as Sora calls to Axel.

"Don't worry Axel. He has it memorized." I hear him yell down something, making Sora grin. I continue trying to fix my hair when he turns around. Laughing a bit, Sora notices what happened to my hair.

"Sorry Roxas. Axel decided to towel dry your hair he KNOWS that hair like ours needs to AIR DRY! I just got done explaining that to Axel, when I realized he had already victimized your hair." He rants on about the products he used and how little Axel ever remembered.

As he talks, I shift in my soaked clothes, water plastering them to my skin. The couch was probably ruined. Yup. Sorry. Sora notices my problem and face palms himself.

"Yeah, you probably want to change and stuff. Do you want a set of clothes, or do you need to get home?" I can tell he wanted me to stay, but I should get home and let Na...mi..ne...

HOLY SHIT! I need to call Namine! She would be so pissed if I didn't let her know what happened. I jump up off of the couch, startling Sora, and run over to the stairs. Looking up, I call after a certain red head.

"AXEL!" I wait until he comes running down the stairs in his pajamas, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. Sora immediately starts laughing his head off, leaning on the armchair for support.

Ignoring him, I open my mouth to speak, but my jaw just hangs open when I notice what he is wearing: A matching pant and shirt set with...(Go on. Guess. This can't be too hard.) STARS on them. My mind explodes as I remember what picture had replaced Namine's previous screen saver.

"What? It's my day off." Axel looks himself over, checking for anything strange on his clothes. Realizing that I am staring, I shake my head, laughing.

"Nothing. It's just that I was wearing that exact outfit this morning." Axel seems to be pleased by this, grinning to himself. I tap my foot against the floor, pulling him out of his own little world. He looks up to me (well, DOWN actually. He's pretty tall.) and winces at my stern expression. I question him as Sora's laughter finally starts to calm.

"Where's my bag? I'm going home." As soon as the words come out of my mouth, the happy aura surrounding Axel kinda droops. He halfheartedly looks around for a second and, spotting my bag, motions towards the door.

My pants chafe and my shirt sticks as I retrieve my things. Opening the bag and pulling out a book, I groan as water drips from the pages. This was apparently amusing enough to make Sora start laughing all over again!

"Sorr-hahahaha-bout your-hahahahahastuff! HAHAHA!" I let him laugh, chuckling a little myself, as I check the rest of my stuff... Oh, no! Has my phone been drowned too? I dig around until my hand brushes a zipper on the inside of the bag.

Mentally crossing my fingers, I open up the pocket and sigh in relief. My phone was safe! And look! A pair of keys had been packed for me. THANK YOU NAMINE! Grateful that it had stopped raining I step out of the door and turn to say bye.

"BYE ROXAS! VISIT ANYTIME!" I see Sora waving his arms and jumping up and down like a child. Axel walks out and hands me a blue umbrella. I look to him, confused. It had stopped raining. Right?

"Just in case. Got it memorized?" I smirk and nod my head.

"Yeah. No use in trying to forget now." I wave and turn to walk down the drive way. Suddenly, I feel somebody watching me. I look across the street to see a boy a bit older than me running away. I turn to see Axel fuming at the door.

"HEY!" Axel yells "Get back here!" Oblivious to Axel's screams, the boy runs on. I start to ask who it was, but he just shakes his head, gripping something in his pocket. Shrugging, I walk down to their drive way. Reaching the end, I turn and begin walking down the street, phone to my ear.

–_**Namine's POV**_

Handing the costumer her order of two two vanilla fudge ice cream cones, I wipe my hands on my apron.

" Three-seventy,five." I hold out my hand as she places exact change in my palm. Clicking some buttons on the register, the money slot opens. Putting the money in the respective slots, I thank the woman for her purchase and turn to look at the clock. Man, I only just started the day, and I already want to go home.

What if Roxas was home? What if his head started to hurt again? OHMIHGOSH! What if he gets hungry!? He can't cook for his life! DON'T PANIC! I take deep breaths, as I push myself to calm down. Pacing behind the counter, I try, unsuccessfully, to push all of the 'what if' ideas away. Roxas is fine. Roxas is fine. Roxas is...

"Namine?" I turn as my name is called. Oh, its Aqua. She owns the ice cream shop here. I wait as she walks towards me, concern on her face. I gulp. Oh, great. I guess I didn't do a good job in the, 'trying to calm down' department.

"Are you alright?" She asks. I stare back to the clock and sigh. Locking back to Aqua, I explain.

"This day wont go by fast enough." I know it sounded childish, but it was true. Aqua chuckles and sighs, shaking her head.

"I know. A lot of people feel the same. Just can't wait to get home and relax." I shake my head at her reasoning. She looks to me, head tilted in confusion. I take a deep breath and launch into this morning's events.

Waking up myself, TRYING to wake Roxas up, taking the adorable photo, (At that point, I pull out my phone, showing her.) hearing glass breaking, and finding Roxas on the floor. Aqua's eager smile soon is replaced with a troubled frown. After I finish, she takes a moment to let it sink in.

"Let me ask you something" Aqua says, voice soft. "If all of this happened to you this morning, then why are you here?" Her voice is full of understanding because she has a child of her own. I didn't understand. Was she giving me a day off, or f-firing me? In my confusion, I loose the ability to get a sentence through.

"Well, I c-came to work s-so I can pay the b-bills." I stutter. She laughs a bit and gives me a hug. I just let my arms dangle beside me, not knowing what to expect anymore.

"You can go home today. I'll cover for you."I am so relieved that I almost hug her back, but all of the sudden, my pocket starts vibrating.

"_**I remember the day you told me you were leaving,**_

_**I remember the make-up running down your face,**_

_**and the dreams you left behind, you didn't need them, **_

_**like every single wish we ever made, **_

_**I wish that I could wake up with amnesia,**_

_**and forget about the stupid little things..."**_

I blush as my phone rings throughout the shop. Some heads turn, and I can hear some girls singing along. Laughing, Aqua steps back.

"Go ahead." She says. I take out my phone and hit 'receive' on the screen. Putting my hair over my other shoulder, I raise it to my ear.

"_**Hello?"**_

"_**Hey, Namine. It's Roxas."**_

I gasp as his familiar voice comes through the phone. I look to Aqua, and point to my phone, mouthing the name Roxas.

I quickly get back on the line.

"_**Are you okay?"**_

"_**Yeah, but I kinda...blacked out at the bus stop."**_

I groan as he tells me what happened. This day keeps getting better and better!

"_**How long were you out? Did somebody help you?"**_

"_**Funny you should ask. I don't know how long I was out, but I woke up in Axel's house."**_

I sigh in relief, but then remember his reaction to Axel's name this morning. I hesitantly ask further.

"_**Well, is he what the rumors say?"**_

"_**...He's Okay. I guess. Do you remember the pajamas I wore this morning?"**_

"_**Yeah, I showed Aqua."**_

I smile as I hear him curse under his breath. He clears his throat and continues.

"_**Well, it was raining when I was unconscious, so he went upstairs to change. When he came down, he was wearing the exact same set!"**_

"**_Wow. Kinda creepy. Anyway, I'm on my way home now. Do you need me to pick you up from Axel's house?"_**

"_**Nah. I'm walking. I can already see the house."**_

" _**I'm leaving now, so I'll see ya soon."**_

"_**Okay, bye."**_

"_**Bye."**_

I hang up, sighing in relief while leaning on the counter. I look up to Aqua and give her a thumbs up. Grinning, she hands me my purse and keys, putting my apron away.

_**-Axel's POV**_

From the window, I watch Roxas walk away until he travels out of sight. Sighing, I run up the living room stairs, and into my room. Shutting the door and sitting on my bed, I think about the guy who was running away from my house. It had been WAY too soon for the school day to be over, so I guess he just ditched. But... if HE is here, then his friends are too! And If he saw Roxas...** AAARRRGGGHHH! Damn you Vanitis!**

I change out of my pj's into a pair of faded jeans and a gray hoodie. Bolting down the stairs, I yell a good bye to Sora and rush out of the door. Running in the direction of his house, I hope Roxas is safe.

_**-Ventus's POV**_

I just listen as Vanitis talks of his plan for Axel's friend. As he continues, I hear him mention the name, Roxas, and freeze.

"Isn't that N-Namine's brother?" Terra and Vanitis look to me, with the looks of under aged criminals.

"Yeah. So?" Terra asks. I shake my head violently, ending the topic.

"First we have to get to Roxas's house. Then..." As Terra and Vanitis start walking, I sneak away from them, ducking behind the nearest house. I am not like them.

_**-Vanitis's POV**_

"Okay, you know the plan?" I ask. Terra nods and pats his bat on the ground.

"Where's Ventus?" Terra asks. Looking around myself, I shrug. I guess he's just chicken. I look across the street to Roxas's house.

"Let's go."

_**-Roxas's POV**_

"**Okay, bye." **Hanging up, I stuff my phone into the pocket that was the driest. Okay, so Namine is coming home... good, cause I'm hungry. Man, I could ea-

CRASH! I hear the sound of windows shattering. Looking up, I see two kids running down the street, bats in hand. Taking a look at my house and wincing at the damage, I yell after the teens.

"HEY! GET YOUR ASSES BACK HERE!" I scream to the boys down the street, fuming with anger. Whoops! Mistake! They immediately turn around, challenging smirks on their faces. Looking to one another, they walk back over.

"Why in the hell did you do that to my house!?" I demand. They just smile, patting their bats on the ground.

"Well, I thought you wouldn't need it. Seeing as you are all 'settled in' with little miss red head. Now, we have somewhere to be, so be on your way Blondie." I know Namine calls me that all the time, but something about HIM saying it made me take a swing. My fist connecting with the taller boy's head, he is sent forward falling to the ground. My punch surprising everyone, I take this chance and bolt into my house.

Only being followed by the guy with black hair, I dash into my room and I'm at loss for what to do next. In a flash, the guy runs in and pins my arms behind my back. Turning me to face the wall, he shows me graffiti that had been written. Eyes growing wide, I turn to look away.

"Why look away? This is just the truth after all." He smirks at me and I do the only thing that comes to mind.

"Bitch!" I wince, realizing, too late, that I had called him what I had called my sister.

Returning the gesture, he lifts his fist and brings it down in my face.

Namine is NOTHING like him

...nothing.

**(A/N) Well, I'm sorry for all of the Roxas Fan-girls who might have died from reading this, but the show must go on! Now. Ventus is currently in the bully's gang. I wrote this to make it seem like he was made to join, not by choice. Let me know if I should find a way to let Ventus join Roxas and Axel's side of the argument. -KV202244**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Go Away!

-Roxas's POV

What...happened? I push myself up onto my knees, wincing as my eyes scan the room. He destroyed...everything. My closet had been ransacked, and my dressers gone through. The mirror mounted on the wall had been shattered, and the pieces scattered.

I look to my bed and see a brown paper bag sitting there. Sighing, I stand and walk over to see what it was. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I open the corners of the bag and pour the contents onto the bed.

My eyes widen as I look at the shredded remains of cloth. On one piece, a star had not been ripped through. Shoving that piece in my pocket, I pick up the note that had fallen out of the bag as well. Unfolding it, I hold it to the light.

"_So, you and your boyfriend have matching clothes? Cute."_

My hand trembles as I place the note back on the bed.

B-boyfriend? I blush as the note's meaning sinks in. I'm not too sure if I disagree.

Shaking the thought out of my head, I get up, and clumsily start walking out of my room. At the door way, there is another note. Picking it up, I pocket it without even reading.

As I make my way out of the house, I find more and more folded pieces of paper. Back pockets bulging, I step out of the door and look at the windows. Someone had broken them. ALL of them.

The same words written on my wall are written out here. Frustrated, I run a handover my face and recoil. My face feels like I fell through a thorn bush. I bring my hands down and can tell that the cuts are still bleeding. Feeling dizzy, I walk to the porch stairs and start down.

"Roxas!"

"Huh?" I look up to see Axel dashing towards me. His face is clouded with anger, concern, and guilt. Dizzy, I take another step, and trip down the stars.

I can hear Axel's steps grow faster, as my knee hits every one of the stairs on the way down. When I reach the bottom, my body turns, but my leg goes the opposite direction.

"Aaaaahhhhhhh!" On the sidewalk, I grip my twisted leg in an unsuccessful attempt to not cry out. This, added to the pain on my face, makes me feel like I am swimming in lava.

Shaking at the base of the stairs, I hear Axel comfort me as he lifts me up. For some reason, this kind of dulled the pain. It was warm in his hold.

"Roxas! What happened? Who did this!" Through half closed eyes, I could see Axel's bright eyes scanning the nearby roads. I really couldn't answer his question, not knowing who it was. As Axel turns to look at my house, I hear tires screech to a stop in the parking lot. A door slams, and a pair of tennis shoes patter up the side walk.

"Oh my god! Roxas, Are you okay... what happened to the house?" she asks. Namine is home. I shut my eyes and sigh. In a way, I'm glad she came too late. What if she was there alone when those...guys arrived. The thought makes me shudder in Axel's warm arms.

Thinking I was in more pain (which I WAS) Axel carries me down to Namine's car and slides in, me still on his lap. I would've argued, but exhaustion overtakes me. All I can do is nestle my head in the crevice of his arm. As Namine gets in and starts the car, I open my eyes.

"Axel?" I ask. He looks down to me, concern in his eyes, and frowns.

"You okay?" I nod, but this sends waves of pain through my head. I shut my eyes, holding my mouth closed tight so I wont scream. I hear Axel sigh beside me.

The car starts to move, and I wince as we go over a bump in the road. Whenever we approach a speed bump, or ditch in the road, Axel holds me a little tighter to guard my leg from the impact. Soon, nausea builds up from the car's motion, and I try not to get sick.

"Axel." I groan. He looks to me, startled, and replies.

"Yeah?" I wait a moment until the latest wave of nausea passes. Swallowing, I look up to Axel.

"I think I'm going to be sick." At this point, Namine pulls the car over in a general store parking lot. Holding me tightly, Axel slides out of the car. Now outside, I breath in the fresh air... and almost vomit.

Curling up into a ball (with one leg sticking out) I try to push the feeling down. Opening my eyes, I spot a trash can at the end of the lot. Following my gaze, Axel nods and walks over to it, Namine following. Letting me down on one leg, she rubs my back as I hunch over the side, sickness taking the best of me. It didn't last long, and when it did end, I look up to Namine.

"What happened, Roxas?" I shrug, and look over to Axel.

"I don't know, but they threw...these at me." I dig in my back pocket and pull out the notes. Axel seems to stiffen at the sight of them.

I open them and, one by one, read them in my head. With each one, my expression grows colder. With each one, my eyes go blurry from moisture build up. With each one, Axel self control crumbles a bit.

"Let me see those." Axel says. Looking at his expression, I know that there is no room for disagreement. Handing them over, I (carefully) wipe my eyes on my sweat shirt. After a moment, Axel throws the notes down and stomps on them.

While he has his little tantrum, I pull out the piece of shredded cloth and run it through my fingers. Looking down, I press it from one hand to the other. Axel, noticing my sour mood, looks down to my hands and frowns. Walking up to me, he lifts my chin and looks at me, confused.

"I guess they saw you in the pajamas. They went through my room, destroying it, and shredded the ones I had." I hold out the patch that held the star, and Axel takes it. He hands it back and walks to the car.

Picking up the half destroyed notes, I try putting weight on my leg, and find that it isn't broken, just sore. Limping back to the car, denying any help from Namine, I sit next to Axel. I'm feeling MUCH better. (well, aside from facial cuts, and a headache.)

"Namine? Can we just go home?" She looks back to me, obviously wanting to go to a hospital. After a moment, she reluctantly nods and turns to start the car.

-Axel's POV

Sitting in the car, I watch Roxas limp into the seat beside me. Damn it! I should have helped him. Well, at least his leg wasn't broken. That saves hospital bills!Leaning against the window, Roxas rubs his temples and speaks.

"Namine? Can we just go home?" She looks back to Roxas, obviously wanting to take him to a hospital. After a moment, she reluctantly nods and turns to start the car.

Minutes go by in awkward silence, as we drive back to Namine's house. Man, I can't believe they went for Roxas.

I turn to look at him and frown. He is looking down into his lap, mumbling something under his breath. In his hands were the notes I had stomped on. I can see my foot prints on many of them. How can I help him?

"Hey, Roxas?" I ask. He turns to look at me with halfheartedly curious gray eyes. I hold up a finger and dig my hands into my pockets.

"If it helps to know... I have lots of them, the notes." Roxas's eyes widen, as I pull out piles and piles of papers. He looks from his dozen notes back to my million and sighs.

"Sorry, Axel. I'm sitting here like **I **have the biggest issue here. You..." His face goes pale, probably out of exhaustion. He slumps against the window as we pull into his driveway. Undoing my seatbelt, I nudge Roxas to tell him to do the same.

"Roxas. We're here." Looking up, I gasp at the damage done to his house. Words too bad (even for my mouth) were painted onto the door and surrounding wood. Every window had been shattered, and I'm guessing the interior is in the same condition. I try to get out of the car, but Roxas is still sitting there.

"Hey, Roxas." I shake his shoulders, but his head just hangs limp. Not again... I shake my head at the events of this morning and sigh.

"Namine. Roxas is out again!" At this, she gets out of the car and runs over to the other side, opening Roxas's door. Unbuckling his seatbelt, Namine pulls him out of the car, supporting Roxas on her shoulders. I quickly slide out, and pick up Roxas. Following Namine up the sidewalk, I watch as she takes out her keys and unlocks the door.

Stepping into the house, I look around for a place to set Roxas down. The couches were ruined, and all of the chairs broken. The floor was covered in broken glass, couch fluff, and wood fragments. Namine runs a hand through hair, her face covered in tears.

"Roxas's room is past the room over there and down the hall." She points towards the kitchen, and I start walking. Stepping past overturned furniture, I make my way down the hallway. Coming up to a door at the end, I take a deep breath and push it open. What I see almost makes me drop Roxas...almost.

-Namine's POV

Oh...my...god! What happened? I walk into my house to find it completely destroyed. Scanning the mess, I spot a shattered photo frame hanging off of the table. No... please tell me that's not the one I think it is! Holding my head in my hands, tears threatening to spill, I look over to Axel. He's looking around too, but more for trying to find a place to set down Roxas. Running a hand through my hair, I assist.

"Roxas's room is past the room over there and down the hall." I point towards the kitchen, and he starts walking. Trying (unsuccessfully) to not trip over anything, I pick my way towards the coffee table... well, what's left of it. Picking up the broken frame, I wipe the dust off of the ripped picture. My eyes widen in horror as I identify the photo.

"No..." Covering my mouth to hide cries of dismay, I shuffle over to the door at the end of the room. Opening it up, I step in... and my mouth falls open. My room is spotless, just how I left it!

Nothing is touched or moved. All of the jewelry I own still fills the vanity drawer. Closet clean. I look to the dresser, and see a posted note stuck to the mirror. Frowning, I walk over and pull it off. Turning it over in my hands, I stop.

Should I read it, or should I show the guys first? Giving myself over to curiosity, I lift up the note and read:

"As your protector,

I guarded your light.

From all of those who,

Turn day into night."

"I am so sorry,

That I couldn't save more.

Just the personal belongings

Behind your room door."

Love (hopefully) V19

Who is V19? Gripping the photo in my hand, I look to the mirror and gasp. A light blush had risen in my cheeks while reading the poem. An embarrassed smile only made the color deepen even more.

"NO!" I gasp, turning, as Axel's yells ring through the house. Is Roxas okay?! I run past the door, leaving the photo behind, and dash past the kitchen. Turning down the hall, I see Axel holding Roxas.

"Is Roxas okay?" I ask, holding my breath. When he nods that he is, I exhale in relief...only to have it stick in my throat. What... happened to Roxas's room?

-Axel's POV

This is my fault! I look to his room and frown. Everything was destroyed! His belongings were shattered, dressers smashed, and closet gone through. Graffiti is sprayed on the wall. Reading the messy words, my eyes widen.

"No!" I yell. There calling him... what they call me now?!

Shit! Not him! It's my fault he was pulled into this. I look down at Roxas's calm face, now covered in scars. He was too innocent for those marks.

I hear footsteps run through the house, and soon enough, Namine stands by my side.

"Is Roxas okay?" she asks. Speechless, all I can do is nod. She seems to calm down a bit, before looking to Roxas's room. Turning my attention back to the room, I scan the damage.

A brown bag, a note, and some tattered cloth lay on the bed. Remembering the pajamas Roxas showed me, I set Roxas against the wall.

Sitting on the edge of the broken bed, I pick up the cloth and smirk. So he did have the same outfit. Yay.

I toss the bag onto the floor and reach for the piece of scrap paper. Reading the note, heat rises in my face. Namine seems to notice and walks back into the kitchen, obviously not wanting to ask. Looking to Roxas, I can only wonder: Does he feel the same? I go to turn my attention back to the note, but Roxas starts to wake up.

I get up, moving towards him, as Roxas shakes his head. Blinking his eyes groggily, he opens them up to stare at me.

The anger that replaces his normal expression startles me.

"This is all your fault, isn't it?" He accuses. Forgetting that I am holding the note, I raise my hands in defense.

"I can explain." Roxas looks to my hands and his face goes red. He glares back at me.

" No. I don't want to hear it. Just get out." He points towards the door and frowns. Looking around, it feels like everything that had been ruined was pouring guilt onto my chest. Stepping forward, I try again.

"Roxas l-" I reach out, but he stands and backs up into the corner.

"Get away from me!" I stand there, mouth open, as he yells at me. Tears are running. From Namine. From Roxas.

And from me.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Axel's POV

Eyes blurry, I dash out of the room. Passing Namine on the way, I don't pause until I get to the front of the house. Reaching the door, I throw it open and step out. Stopping on the sidewalk, I look back and frown. I'll pay for the damage, It's the least I can do. Turning back, I walk down the drive way. I better go home. Sora's probably worried.

Turning down multiple roads, It seems like forever before mine comes into view. Slouching up the stairs, I fish the keys out of my pocket and stuff them into the lock. Twisting the key and pushing open the door, I step into my house and sigh. What was with today? Just bad luck? Mmmm... I don't think so. Turning around to shut the door, I hear footsteps thunder down the stairs. They stop at the bottom of the stairs. Busying myself with locking the door, I call over my shoulder.

"Hey Sora. Sorry I just ran off on you, but someth-" I finally give up on locking the door and turn to Sora...or who I **thought** was Sora.

"Vanitis! What are you doing here?" I demand. He digs into his pocket and pulls out something metallic. Suddenly, I hear Sora yell out a warning from upstairs.

"**AXEL, HE HAS A KNIFE!" **I immediately dash forward and kick his knees in. Stumbling a bit, Vanitis swings the knife towards me, an I wince as it makes contact with my cheek. Stepping back, I reach a hand to feel it, and find that it's only a graze. Looking back to Vanitis, who was still on his knees, I step forward and raise my foot to kick the weapon out of his hand. The knife flies out of his hand, but not how I wanted it to. I fall down and scream as the knife finds it's way into my leg. I hear a panicked knock on the door and freeze. Vanitis creeps to the door, fist curled up. I watch him throw it open, and I whine in dismay when I see someone standing there with my umbrella.

"What did you do to Axel!?" He screams.

Oh, no. Roxas is here.

-Roxas's POV

Shaking, I watch him dash out of the room, eyes filled with hurt. Turning around, I scream and throw my fist at the wall. The wall, turning out to be more thicker than it looks, doesn't gain a single dent. But my hand isn't as lucky. Falling to my knees, I hold my knuckles tightly against my stomach.

"Roxas! Are you okay?" Namine rushes to my side, as I look down to my bleeding knuckles. Following my gaze, she gasps and pulls me to my feet. Shaking my hand, I feel the pain sharpen a bit, then dull out.

"Namine, it's fine." Walking out of my room, I get the bandages from the bathroom. I can't seem to open the box, and end up ripping the box apart. Leaving the ripped cardboard on the floor, I grab the bandages and start to wrap my hand. Wincing, I pull the wrap tight and tie it down , walking out of the bathroom. Slumping down on a part of the couch that WASN'T destroyed, I sigh, shutting my eyes.

"Roxas." Groaning, I open my eyes to look at Namine. Legitimate fear and concern clouded her expression. I tilt my head in question.

"Roxas, are you okay?" she asks. Groaning, I run a hand through my hair. Slumping back into the ripped cushion, I look at Namine.

"Yeah. Nothing important happened today BUT I did end up with a sprained leg, messed up face, two new enemies, a situation with passing out, a stupid red-head to deal with, and black eyes. Yup, I'm just SWELL." I end with a little more sarcasm than needed. Feeling guilty, I look away, head pulsing.

"Roxas, I'm sorry about today. I don't know what brought this on you, but I know that it isn't Axel's fault. And, about your eyes, you might want to look again." She finishes. I'm about to start listing the evidence that proves Axel is responsible for this, but I stop. What did she say about my eyes? Standing a little too quickly for my leg, I stalk over to the mirror. Opening my eyes wide, I gasp as I observe. They are now a little lighter. Like a dark gray instead of black. My gaze trails off from my eyes and onto my face. Man... he messed me up bad. Turning my head, I try to count the cuts and bruises, but loose count quickly. Groaning in defeat, I walk to my room. Stepping in, I stomp my good foot on the floor and cross my arms.

"When can a guy like me get some rest!" I look around the room at the broken furniture, and turn around. Finding Namine standing in the kitchen, I sigh.

"Need something?" I ask. She turns to me, sighs, and continues.

"I need you to go to Axel's house." She says. I'm pretty sure that the people across the world can feel my shock and anger.

Jaw dropping, I question whether or not to ask.

"Why? I told you that I don't want anything to do with him." She shuts her eyes, rubbing her head, and replies.

"He's gunna want his umbrella back." Taking the blue umbrella from her hand, I frown at the memory:

_**~ "BYE ROXAS! VISIT ANYTIME!" I see Sora waving his arms and jumping up and down like a child. Axel walks out and hands me a blue umbrella. I look to him, confused. It had stopped raining. Right?**_

"_**Just in case. Got it memorized?" I smirk and nod my head. **_

"_**Yeah. No use in trying to forget now." **_

Here I am, walking to his house again. **Why**, you ask? Because I have to return his umbrella, that's why. Namine wanted me to, AND she wants me to apologize. Ha, in her dreams. Walking up his side walk, I debate whether I should knock on the door, or leave the umbrella on the porch. Before I could make any decision, I hear Sora yell something about a knife.

Panicking, I run up to the porch. Putting my ear to the door, I hear a swing of something metallic and Axel's wince shortly follows. Fear running through my mind, I jump when I hear Axel yell. Pushing all hesitation aside, I step forward and knock on the door. Complete silence follows. In a flash, the door swings open to reveal Vanitis at the doorway. Looking around him, I spot Axel on the floor, a knife in his leg. Looking back to Vanitis, I grip the umbrella tighter.

"What did you do to Axel?!" I scream. The amount of rage in my tone surprises the three of us as I swing the umbrella into Vanitis's head. Falling to the floor, He lands in an unconscious heap in front of me. Looking up, I step over him and run over to Axel.

"What are you doing here?" Axel asks.

"Returning the umbrella!" I yell at him. Kneeling down beside him, I wince, pulling the bandages off of my hand. Pulling the weapon off of him (with great complaint from Axel) I wrap the wound with the bandages. I feel his startled glance on my knuckles, and I pull down my sleeves to cover them. Pulling the wrap tight, I tie it off and stand.

"There." Carefully putting my hands in my pockets, I walk over to the stairs.

"Sora, you okay?" I yell up. I sigh in relief as he walks down the stairs, unharmed. Reaching the bottom, he smiles.

"Turns out that Axel's closet is VERY strong." I hear Axel chuckle as Sora thanks the vanity. His smile fades as he spots the dirty knife beside Axel's bandaged leg.

"Oh, no! Axel I'm so sorry!" He covers his mouth and his eyes widen to the point of exploding.

"It's alright, It's alright! Calm down." Sora seems to calm a bit before looking to me. Taking my hands out of my pocket, I run them through my hair and wince.

"Ohmigosh! You look like you were hit by a car!" I roll my eyes and frown.

"So does my house." Not waiting for his reply, I walk over to Vanitis and give him a little nudge. He's out cold. Still gripping the umbrella, I turn around to face Axel.

"This is all your fault!" Axel flinches at my sudden blame. Sora's eyes widen as I scream at Axel.

"I get that these guys are bullying you, and it feels like SHIT! I get it! But did you have to drag me and Namine into this? Our home has been destroyed, I got attacked multiple times, and now there are TWO bully victims! I don't even want to **IMAGINE** what would happen if these guys found Namine alone."

Dropping the umbrella, I examine my knuckles. You know, I could use a nice, solid wall right now. I look to Axel and gasp inwardly. The look of hurt was replaced by one of anger.

"Poor you! Do you think I **WANTED **this to happen? I can't control who they pick as there victim! You know, now that I think about it, I should have just left you passed out in the rain! There would be one less ruined couch cushion, and one less BITCH!" He spits the last part and ends with that.

Tears fall down my cheeks without permission, as I back up.

"Okay. I'll just... Namine's waiting for me." I finish simply, not able to form a sentence. Before turning to leave, I hear Sora's scream.

"**ROXAS, BEHIND Y-"** that's all I hear before a flash of blue knocks me out cold.

Darn that umbrella.

-Axel's POV

I watch as tears leak from his eyes. Man, I didn't mean to say that! I frown as he backs up, fighting to find the right words.

"Okay. I'll just... Namine's waiting for me." He stutters. He turns to go, but movement behind him pushes Sora to scream.

"**ROXAS, BEHIND YOU!" **Too late! The figure picks up the umbrella and brings it across Roxas's head. I wince at how forcefully he swung. I jump to my feet, forgetting the stab wound, but Vanitis was already down the sidewalk. Running over to Roxas, I scoop him up in my arms and bolt out of the door.

Running down the street, I stop beside Sora's car. Eyes widening, I realize that he had deflated the tires.

"Damn!" Forgetting the car, I dash towards Roxas's house. All of the sudden, I feel a drop of moisture on my arm. Looking up in confusion, I check for rain clouds. Seeing there are no clouds, I gulp and look to Roxas. No...

I lift up his head and gasp at the sight of his blood. DAMN! Running faster, I jump up to the porch and knock furiously.

"NAMINE!" I yell. Soon, I hear someone trip their way to the door and swing it open. I speak before she gets a chance to ask.

"Namine, grab your keys!" With that, I run down to the car. Rushing out of the door, Namine unlocks the car from the house. Opening the door, I slide in with Roxas. This scene is WAY too familiar.

"Where is the nearest hospital?" she asks.

"Forget the hospital! It's too far! Here, go to this address." She listens intently as I list the house's information. Reluctantly nodding her head, She turns around and stomps down the gas.

"I'm sorry Roxas."

I hold him still the best I can when we go over bumps. It feels like forever before we pull over next to a shabby looking house. Namine gimaces.

"Is this the right place?" I nod as I push open the door. Stepping out, I walk to the door and ring the doorbell with my elbow. Soon, the door opens to reveal a silver haired boy with blue eyes.

"Riku, you mind lending a hand?" I ask. He wasn't even listening. He is pulling us all in, and clearing his bed off. Following his instruction, I lay Roxas down. Running out, then back into the room with bandages, Riku lifts up Roxas's head and wraps it. While he works, I turn to Namine and frown.

"The returning of the umbrella turned into the swinging of the umbrella. It was one of the guys that wrecked your house." I finish and Namine nods, clearly upset.

"Was it Vanitis or Terra?" Riku asks. I answer that it was Vanitis, but then question him.

"Why couldn't it have been Ventus?" I ask. Riku chuckles and shakes his head.

"Everyone knows that Ventus was forced to join the gang. He's just a big softy, wouldn't hurt a soul." He says.

"Yeah," I agree " Now that I look back on it, Ventus wasn't with them when they wrecked their house." I watch as Namine puts something together in her mind and blushes. I don't think to question it when Roxas stirs. Blinking groggily, he sits up holding his bandaged head. Namine walks out of the room with Riku to ask some questions. Walking up to him, I speak cautiously.

"R-Roxas? You, okay?" I ask. He slowly turns his head to look at me. Looking me over he frowns and tilts his head.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" he asks. I know he isn't kidding by his semi-embarrassed expression. My heart drops into my stomach as this realization hits me. I just nod and walk to the door.

"Give me second, okay? I'll be right back." Roxas nods his head and turns to survey his surroundings. Pulling Namine to the side, I feel my eyes grow blurry.

"... I spoke to him..." I start. Namine sighs in relief and tugs on my sleeve.

"So, what did he say?" she asks. Taking a deep breath, I answer.

"He said...Do I know you?" Namine's expression goes from relief to horror as the tears I've been holding back spill.

Did you hear that? He doesn't know me. People have said pretty cruel things to me, but this breaks me. Did you hear what he said:

Do I Know You?"

Darn that umbrella.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Maybe It's Not a Bad Thing

**Axel's POV**

I turn away as shock fills her eyes. Looking down the hall, I see Roxas standing, looking around. Without thinking, I walk to his room to offer my help. Stepping into the room, I find him rubbing his head with a puzzled expression on his face.

"So Roxas, you really don't remember me?" I ask in one last burst of hope. He looks up to the ceiling and takes a moment to search his head. He looks down (well, up because I'm pretty tall) to me and frowns sheepishly.

"Should I?" He asks. I want to bawl my eyes out at this point, but to keep Roxas comfortable, I just shrug. Nodding his head, Roxas shifts his weight and puts his hands in his pockets, wincing.

"Where's Namine?" He questions.

"She's down the hal- WAIT! You remember her?" He steps back and nods that he does. Blinking a few times, I turn around and call out.

"Namine! Roxas wants you!" Footsteps follow my words and, soon enough, Namine walks through the door way. She looks to me and frowns.

"Does he remember me?" She asks wearily. Putting a thumbs up, I motion for her to go on ahead. She smiles and turns to Roxas. He opens his mouth to speak.

"Hey Namine, when are we leaving?" he asks. Before Namine can respond, Riku enters the room.

"He can leave whenever, but you might want to keep an eye on him. He might have forgotten something REALLY important." At his words, I fume and walk out of the room and out of the front door. Slamming it behind me, I slump down on the stairs, too exhausted to hold back the tears. 

**Roxas's POV**

Slowly coming into conciseness, I listen to the voices around me. Light reaches behind my eyelids, irritating my fuzzy eyes. Groaning, I hold up my hands, trying to block out the glare. I hear the voices around me silence as I push myself up to a sitting position. Forcing my eyes open, I stare at my unfocused surroundings. Frowning, I blink away the sensation to find a red head looking down to me.

"R-Roxas? You, okay?" He asks. I slowly turn to look at him. Looking him over I frowns and tilt my head.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" I ask. He seems familiar, but can't really recall who he is. What gets me are his eyes. They seem to bright and clear to be labeled as green. Maybe emerald... I look down to my hands, trying to hide my embarrassed expression. The hopeful aura around him drops as I advert my eyes. He just nods and walk to the door.

"Give me second, okay? I'll be right back." He promises. I nod and turn to survey my surroundings. Pulling Namine to the side, the red-head walks down the hall, clearly upset. Sighing, I shake my head, ashamed that I could forget a so called friend.

Gritting my teeth, I push myself out of bed, eyes widening at the blood staining the upper portion. Putting my hands to my bandaged head, I wonder how something this bad could evade my memory. Pulling my arms down, I examine the gashes on my knuckles. Yeah, I don't know what happened to them...but it was probably one of my anger fits. Yup. I know THAT much. At least I don't look that bad-

My thoughts crash as I catch my reflection in the mirror. WHAT IN THE HELL HAPPENED?! I turn my face to examine the many cuts and bruises an my face. These marks don't seem to match my light skin and blue eyes. Frowning, I go over the possibilities, listed from the least worse, to the most critical.

1. Fell into a Box of Paper and Staples

2. Fell Down the Stairs

3. Hit by a Car

4. Jumped

5. Trapped in a Collapsed Building

...okay, let's hope it was either 1 or 2! I step forward to get a closer look, and wince as my leg aches. Okay, it could have been 3 or 4 as well. I pray that it doesn't escalate to 5. If it did, wouldn't I be at the E.R or something?

I turn my head as I hear a gasp in the hallway. Sounded like Namine. She's here? What's going on? I don't get it! Why are we here? Groaning in confusion, I rub around the bandages on my head.

"So Roxas, you really don't remember me?" He asks. I turn to see the red head at the door way. Looking up to the ceiling, I take a moment to search my head. I look down (well, up because he's pretty tall) to him and frown sheepishly.

"Should I?" I ask. He looks really upset at this point, but he just shrugs. Tilting my head, I shift my weight and put my hands in my pockets, wincing. Thinking back to a couple moments ago, I look up.

"Where's Namine?" I question.

"She's down the hal- WAIT! You remember her?" I step back and nod that I do. Blinking a few times, the red-head turns around and calls out.

"Namine! Roxas wants you!" Footsteps follow his words and, soon enough, Namine walks through the door way. She looks to him and frowns. Leaning close, she whispers a question behind her hand. Smiling half-heartedly, he gives her a thumbs up. She turns to me, as I open my mouth to speak.

"Hey Namine, when are we leaving?" I ask. Before Namine can respond, a teen with silver hair enters the room.

"He can leave whenever, but you might want to keep an eye on him. He might have forgotten something REALLY important." At his words, the red-head fumes and walks out of the room and through the front door. I flinch as the door slams shut, sending aches through my head. Hands going up to rub the bandages, I look to Namine and frown.

"Who is he?" I ask. Namine smirks and crosses her arms.

"Roxas, be a little more specific! This dude, or red-head?" She mocks me, pointing from the silver haired boy, to the end of the hall.

"Both!" I sigh. Laughing, Namine shakes her head and mumbles something about the usual.

"This is Riku. He's the one that bandaged you up." She says. Looking up to the teen, who is leaning against the wall, I mumble my thanks.

"And the red-head is Axel." She says his name, and multiple memories threaten to surface. I can feel the moments there, but it's like a chain is holding them down. I try to uncover them, but only one appears:

"**Hey, you miss the bus too?" I curse my lazy morning and look back to him. I nod and he holds out his hand. **

"**My name's Axel. Got it memorized? What's yours?" I reluctantly shake his hand and reply. **

"**I'm Roxas."**

"Yeah... Axel, right!" Remembering this one little piece of dialogue is enough to convince me! We could easily be friends. I mean, us both being tardy. Plus, he doesn't look half bad either... 

**Axel's POV-**

Angrily wiping my face in my sleeve, I push myself to my feet. Sighing, I turn to face Riku's door. Roxas doesn't know me anymore. Yeah...life's SHIT at the moment. Putting my hand to the door knob, a pull open the door and step in. Wait. If Roxas goes home now, he will see everything! Walking quickly into the bedroom, I glance around the group. Namine looked like she felt bad, but relieved at the same time. Riku gave me a teasing look that just shouts, 'done with your tantrum?' Nodding my head, I look to Roxas. As soon as out eyes meet, he looks away, blushing around his embarrassed smile. Smiling to myself, I turn to Namine and motion down the hall.

Following me away from the room, Namine sighs.

"What is it?" She asks, concern in her voice. Thinking about the current condition of his house, I open my mouth to speak.

"I think you guys should stay at my house." I say. Namine's mouth twitches, and she speaks.

"Why?" She questions. Shivering at the thought of past events, I go on.

"Roxas can't see what happened. It would hurt him. Plus, I don't want him to remember everything about me yet." I finish sourly. Namine's confused expression pushes me to tell her.

"When he was at my house, he started blaming me for everything, and I got mad. I said something I really regret." I say. Namine nods understandingly and puts her hand on my shoulder.

"I also think that there are some things that are beast left forgotten. If he hasn't forgotten anything vital to his life, we could leave it at that." She finishes. Namine turns to go.

"But, maybe he should remember. I would like to apologize. If he never remembers, I'll never forgive myself. The last sentence he heard, was the one where I..." A lump rises in my throat. Namine shakes her head and starts down the hall. Feeling desperate, I raise my head and call out.

"I CALLED HIM A BITCH!" I scream, falling down to my knees, fighting to hold back fresh tears. I hear footsteps approach, and a palm ruffles my hair. Looking up, Namine's kind gaze on my watering eyes, I clear my throat and stand.

"Sorry." I say. I start to walk out of the house, when she calls out.

"See ya at your place in half an hour!" I smile at this conformation, and exit the house hold. Fishing out my phone form my pocket, I flip it open and dial.

"**Hello?"**

"**Sora-"**

"**Ohmigosh, Axel! How's Roxas?!"**

"**He's fine. Can you pick me up?"**

"**Yeah, I just finished filling my tires. Where are you?"**

"**Riku's house. And hurry, we****'****re going to have company."**

"**Already halfway there."**

Snapping the phone shut, I lean against a street sign, waiting for Sora. Looking down the street, towards Roxas's house, I change my mind. Opening my phone back up, I send Sora a text.

- w8. c u roxas's house :]

-pulling in. OMG! When u coming?

-asap ;-)

Smiling at the awesomeness of emoticons, I sprint down the road. 

**Sora's POV-**

As I drive close, I gasp at the damage done to his house.

-pulling in. OMG! When u coming?

-asap ;-)

Sighing, I shake my head at Axel and his emoticons. Pulling into the parking space, I shut off the car and push open the door. Stepping out, my eyes widen at the language sprawled on the door. Leaning against the car, I watch as Axel appears at the end of the road. Spotting me, he runs up to the parking lot and bends over, catching his breath.

"It's bad, isn't it." He asks, motioning to the house. I nod, and he stands up straight. He starts up the sidewalk, and I follow, bracing myself for the shock in store. The door now comes open without having to turn the knob, and is halfway off of it's hinges. Stepping into the house, I gasp at the view. It looks like a tornado went through here!

"Follow me. I'll show you why Roxas can't come home yet." Axel says bitterly. Following him past a wrecked kitchen, my eyes narrow as we reach a door at the end of the hall. Hmmm... the _door_ looks undamaged enough. If the door is in this good of a condition, maybe the inside is as well. And then Axel pushed open the door. 

**Axel's POV-**

I watch as Sora's expression turns from caution, to one of horror. Stepping in, I sigh and motion towards the wall.

" Sora, this is the SHIT that I dragged Roxas and Namine into." I watch Sora's pained expression as he reads the sloppy graffiti. He looks to me, mouth open to speak, but can't seem to find his voice. Nodding my head, I walk to the brown bag and pick up the note from earlier. Reading the words, I can't help to hope, once more, that he feels the same.

Thinking back to Riku's house, I remember the embarrassed smile on Roxas's face. His smile broke through the spiky hair he tried to hide behind. Have things changed? One minute, he's yelling at me, the next, he's blushing at eye contact. This could be result of him forgetting the bad things about me...

Hmmm... Roxas has amnesia? Maybe it's not a bad thing...


End file.
